Overview
- Local residents reported the bird near Karwar’s Timmakka Garden/Rabindranath Tagore Beach, after which the Coastal Marine Police and Forest Department secured it.
- The device bore markings and an email address linked to the Research Centre for Eco‑Environmental Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, according to police and forest officials.
- Preliminary assessments describe the unit as a scientific GPS tracker with no camera, and police and intelligence officials have indicated no immediate security threat.
- Tracker data reported by outlets showed the bird had flown more than 10,000 kilometres, including across Arctic regions, before reaching Karnataka’s coast.
- A multi‑agency inquiry is underway with technical analysis planned and outreach to the named institution, while the seagull remains under veterinary observation at the Marine Forest Division; a similar 2024 case in Karwar was traced to wildlife research.